Hawaiian islands, Pacific becoming Virgin territory

While a Virgin America flight to Honolulu from the West Coast (Los Angeles or S.F.) has been said to be in the works for a while (“sometime next year” is the latest buzz among flight attendants), Virgin’s frequent fliers don’t have to wait that long for a free trip to the islands, courtesy of a new promotion with Hawaiian Airlines.

Today’s e-mail to members of Elevate, Virgin’s loyalty program, states that their points may now be used on Hawaiian Airlines flights for as few as 20,000 reward points, round trip, plus $5 in taxes and fees. That amount is good for San Francisco-Honolulu, round trip in coach, using the calculator; Kaua‘i, Maui and Hawai‘i Island destinations require 26,000 points plus $10.

Elevate points may also be used on Hawaiian’s trans-Pacific destinations, including Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka and Sapporo, Japan, and Incheon, Korea, for 55,000 points and $59; Pago Pago, American Samoa, for 40,000 points and $25, and Papeete, French Polynesia, for 40,000 points and $6 (all amounts reflect round trips in coach from SFO.) Any of Hawaiian’s 11 Mainland gateways are eligible for the Elevate promotion.

Flights to Hawai‘i, especially free ones using frequent-flier miles, are one of United Airlines’ few remaining advantages for San Francisco-based travelers over Virgin America, which has steadily been expanding service from SFO into the most popular business and leisure destinations. For those wedded to United, let’s hope this increased competition — which includes Hawaiian’s nonstops to Maui from San Jose and Oakland and expanded service to Neighbor Islands on Alaska Airlines, among other developments — leads to better service and more competitive airfares.

Update: Several hours after the Virgin America press release, Hawaiian Airlines (which is in a different time zone, after all) announced its frequent fliers will also be able to use their points on Virgin flights. The two airlines will also offer code-sharing on certain flights to allow for “seamless” booking and check-in for all passengers (not just frequent fliers) wishing to use both airlines on single journey.